He might answer the call to all of those descriptions - and a few more.

Denham, a charismatic 6-foot-4 sophomore congressman, also has been the target of a 2008 state recall and bucked his party when he voted Jan. 1 to support the federal tax package that avoided the so-called "fiscal cliff."

Both reflect his independence - and stubbornness.

"I've always reached across the aisle," Denham says. "The Valley depends on it. Voters here need a leader to fight for them."

He has represented interests from Fresno to Modesto during a decade in public office, the first eight as a state senator. Last year, he defeated Democrat Jose Hernandez, an astronaut from Stockton, for the 12th Congressional District seat. And now Manteca, Tracy, Ripon and Escalon are Denham's to represent.

While his voting record is conservative, Denham is not a tea party Republican.

"This is a great district, and these are great people," the 45-year-old Denham says. "Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties fit well together. This is a great opportunity. There are a lot of similarities. I will say Tracy and Manteca have a lot of commuters."

A member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, he hopes to be a voice for the interests of daily long-distance travelers.

As a House freshman, Denham thrust himself onto the national stage more than once. He is proud of three signature policy issues.

» The Veterans Skills to Jobs Act: "I'm proud the president signed this bill to help veterans get back to work." Denham co-authored the bill with Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn.

» Sandy Relief Improvement Act: "I wanted to move quickly and fix things like flooding here in the district before a catastrophe." The disaster-relief bill streamlines Federal Emergency Management Agency operations. Denham was recognized nationally for the bipartisan legislation.

» Civilian Property Realignment Act: "I wanted to reform the use of public buildings ... and it is a great way to reduce the deficit." Denham, chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees public buildings, found himself on national TV in April involving the General Services Administration scandal and its waste of taxpayer money.

Denham, born in Hawthorne, was raised in the Salinas Valley and near Turlock. At 17, he joined the U.S. Air Force and spent 16 years on active and reserve status. In 1991, he graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

That's where he met his wife, Sonia, the daughter of a Mexican father and Puerto Rican mother. They've been married 19 years and have two children, a son, Austin, who turns 17 today and a daughter, Samantha, who is 14. Sonia Denham, 38, is a senior sales manager for Earthbound Farms, an organic produce business.

The Denhams have moved to McLean, Va. "I need to be a dad first," he says. "I need to be able to come home and help with homework."

The family still has almond orchards and property in the Atwater-Turlock area and his successful Denham Plastics operates out of Salinas.

Denham does not want to slow down in his second term. Rail issues, water, tax reform and immigration are all on his to-do list. He also has two policy passions that prompted his first run for office and have been with him ever since: Education and agriculture.

Organ transplant issues also interest him.

Denham's first election victory - an outcome that took three weeks to finalize in 2002 - was bittersweet.

The same day he learned he had won, his father, 56-year-old John Denham, died from kidney failure complications. The elder Denham had long been waiting on a donor-transplant list. "He didn't pass until he heard I'd won," Denham says.

After winning a second term in Sacramento, he ran into trouble with the Legislature's leadership.

Both his independence and stubbornness came into play when Denham refused to vote for the budget that state Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland, then-president pro tempore, wanted.

In retaliation, Perata supported a union-backed recall against Denham in 2008. It failed miserably.

Those rough-and-tumble days helped prepare Denham for Congress. He strikes an imposing physical presence in the House of Representatives, but offers an almost comical counterpoint. His pet is a small French Bulldog named Lily.

"She has taken the capital by storm," Denham says. Aides call the dog "interesting," "lovable" and "a joy to be around."

During President Obama's second inauguration, 6-foot-4 Jeff Denham could be found greeting constituents in the Capitol with petite Lily by his side.

Denham the dog owner, Denham the lawmaker - both capable of throwing those who underestimate him off guard.